Eau Claire resident Arnold Domer was a self-made businessman who owned Arnie’s Ski and Garden Center and who valued hard work, said associate professor of psychology Mickey Crothers.
“(He had) an interest in young people trying to make their way in the world against all odds,” Crothers said.
Domer, who died in November 2003, will be remembered by a scholarship for first-generation college students, said Melissa Vogler, financial aid counselor and scholarship coordinator at UW-Eau Claire.
| “His success story was one of blood, sweat and tears.” –Mickey Crothers Associate professor of psychology |
A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one Eau Claire student and one Chippewa Valley Technical College student. The scholarship is for continuing sophomores, juniors and seniors with at least a 2.75 GPA who demonstrate financial need.
“His success story was one of blood, sweat and tears,” said Crothers, trustee of the Arnold and Lois Domer Foundation.
Domer was an Eau Claire student in the 1930s, Crothers said, and he also taught math at CVTC.
Domer was in the Navy during World War II, where he taught troops survival skills and worked in a bakery before opening a ski repair shop in his basement. He ultimately opened Arnie’s Ski and Garden Center, Crothers said.
According to the Foundation, students from Eau Claire and CVTC will benefit from this as scholarships have been set up at both institutions.
“Preference will be to first generational college students, but it doesn’t exempt anyone from applying,” Vogler said. “Students are encouraged to write a letter, send in a degree audit and describe the percent of college expense that they personally provide.”
| Contact information
UW-Eau Claire Financial Aid office CVTC financial aid office |
Students are also encouraged to include their extracurricular activities and explain how the scholarship itself will aid their education, said Debbie Duncanson, Foundation Assistant at CVTC.
The foundation gives $1 million every year in scholarships, Vogler said.
Crothers also spoke about the reason the criteria includes students with a GPA of 2.75.
“We thought we’d keep the GPA lower for students who are working too much,” Crothers said.
They can apply for the scholarship and, if they receive it, they can devote more time to studying, she said.
“Preference is given to first generation college students, but other people can get it if (they’re) more qualified,” Crothers said. “(The scholarship) can boost where it makes the most difference.”
